Fresh
snow and slippery roads were Mother Nature's Valentine's Day treats for
much of Upper Michigan this morning. An area of low pressure over the Midwest
is sending a wintry mix our way. Much of the UP is in store for a couple
inches of fresh snow today and tomorrow. On the positive side, fresh white
snow makes for better pictures. Also, with this week designated WinterFest
in the city of Marquette, it seems only so appropriate that we receive fresh
snow.

A message from NMU President
Les Wong

Last week, Governor
Jennifer Granholm presented her State of the State address
and her 2006 executive budget was announced to the Legislature. These
actions amount to the first inning of a minimum nine-inning game known
as the legislative budget planning process. I anticipate this years
legislative season to be a very long one.

Over the weekend, I spent a considerable amount of time considering some
of the points of the Governors speech and the possible implications
of her executive order and budget. Id like to share with you a
letter I sent to the NMU faculty and staff Friday, so that as active
Northern alumni, you have the same information as the campus community.
When you have time, please take a moment to read the letter.

The key point for alumni to understand is that at NMU the general
fund is made up of almost a 50-50 percent split between state funding
and tuition and fees. So, the math is pretty simple for us. If state funding
goes down, tuition and fees must go up proportionally in order to keep
all that we have at NMU today.
When the state ties funding to tuition restraint, the situation becomes
much more complicated.
Universities, especially growing ones like Northern, must then find ways
to address both the loss of funds as well as the increase in expenditures
such as compensation, health care and utilities. On the positive side,
it forces institutions to be very focused about their priorities.
On the negative side, it endangers the quality and/or existence of current
offerings.

As alumni, I know you care that NMUs academic offerings are of the
highest caliber because that continues to be a direct reflection on your
degree. This idea of focused priorities also holds true for the state.
Does higher education rank as a top 10 priority among the citizens of
Michigan? I hope we all agree that the answer is a resounding YES! I
hope when you get the opportunity to give your input as citizens of the
state (if you are) that you send that message loud and clear to Lansing.

WinterFest and UP 200
highlight busy week ahead

Northern
Michigan Universitys annual WinterFest, held in conjunction with the
City of Marquettes winter celebration, will be held Feb. 13-19. SNOWDAZE:
Shake It Up! is this years theme and several activities
are planned.

An airband competition
is scheduled at 7 p.m. Tuesday, Feb. 15, in 102 Jamrich Hall.
Wednesday, Feb. 16, from 7-9, the Berry Events Center will be the site of
open skating and a pep rally. Attendees can skate with Wildcat Willy, NMU
cheerleaders and hockey players. There will also be a dance team performance.
The NMU hockey Wildcats will face Michigan Tech at 7 p.m. Thursday, Feb.
17, in the Berry.

The start of the U.P. 200 sled dog race at 7 p.m. will be a highlight Friday,
Feb. 18. It begins at 7 p.m. The race starts on Washington Street.
While we couldn't identify any alumni in this year's race, NMU grad Pete
Curtice '86 took home the trophy in 2002.

The WinterFest warm-up party is scheduled from 7-11 p.m. Friday at Upfront
& Company, with musical guests Jim and Ray. The days activities
will conclude with WinterFest fireworks at 9 p.m. over Lower Harbor Park.
WinterFest concludes Saturday, Feb. 19, with a Winter Fun Run from 10 a.m.
to noon and a charity snowshoeing race in the Lower Harbor Park.

A few follow-ups from
Horizons

As
you are aware, the winter 2005 issues of Horizons brought you the
stories of several NMU alumni who are taking part in history through both
civilian and military jobs in Iraq. Since publication, we have received
updates on some of the featured alumni, and wanted to share them with you:

SGT.
Ron Revello '95 (left) was stationed at Forward Operating Base Speicher
in Tikrit. In his primary role as the technical engineering supervisor and
lead CAD designer, he and his unit designed more than 175 projects ranging
from roads and buildings to fences, guard posts, and control posts.

After a year in Iraq, Ron returned stateside last week and once through
outprocessing, expects to be home in Appleton today.Welcome home, Ron.

While
the following actually came in for the Emailbag I thought it was more appropriate
here:

"I would just
like to comment on latest issue of Horizons magazine. The writing and photographs
are equally impressive and capture the essence of what it was like living
and working in Baghdad. NMU alumni over in Iraq should make everyone who
went to Northern Michigan proud.

I never had the
pleasure of meeting John Truitt '85, or MAJ Phillips, but they
truly were on the front lines. One capturing news as it happened, and
the other helping to rebuild communities through his civil affairs battalion.
I did have the pleasure of working with Kristi Gruizinga '99 for
the Coalition Provisional Authority and the U.S. Embassy. Her efforts
were tireless, and she did bring legitimacy to all of the projects and
programs she was involved in. I am one of many that are overjoyed that
she has recovered from those waning days of her tour in Iraq. Attached
is a photo of Kristi, myself and another NMU alum Specialist Michael
Filizetti '02 taken while all three of us were still in Baghdad. As
mentioned in the Horizons article, Kristi is headed to the Hauge. I am
back in Washington, DC working in the Bureau of Near Eastern Affairs.
Michael is still in Baghdad working for the Iraq Reconstruction Management
Office. Please continue your well wishes and prayers for him and all of
our troops serving overseas. Many ThanksTim
Bennett '99

NMU
goalie Tuomas Tarkki has moved into first place in the Hobey Baker fan pool.
He has 27,667 points as of this writing. Jordan Sigalet is second with 23,117.
Tarkki leads the CCHA in overall goals against average (1.88) and saves
percentage (.936) and is sixth and fourth nationally in those categories.
He has a 13-6-4 record. Other Cats on the list include Nathan Oystrick,
Pat Bateman and Darin Olver.

Preliminary voting
runs through Sunday, March 6, during which time visitors to the site can
vote once per day for first-, second- and third-place choices for the
Hobey Baker Award (www.hobeybaker.com).
The fans tally will be considered along with votes from each of
the 58 Division I head coaches to determine the 10 finalist for this years
award.